The beautiful Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, 31, is the new face of Lancome, joining Julia Roberts, Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet in promoting the French company’s beauty products.

The 12 Years a Slave star is an obvious choice for the gig — she already turns heads wherever she goes with her mesmerizing beauty and style.

“What appealed to me about Lancome is that they’re not dictating what beauty is,” she told WWD. “What they do supports something that already is — and that was appealing to me, too. It’s what drew me to them. Hopefully it’s a symbiotic relationship — that I benefit from being associated with them, and they benefit from being associated with me, as well. And for the consumer at large, I think Lancome has a range of products for every woman, and I think having me will expand people’s understanding of, hopefully, what Lancome stands for, who Lancome is for.”

Lupita Nyong'o is the new face of Lancome because, HELLO, have you seen her face? http://t.co/icSIj79ufA pic.twitter.com/HYzjJd8bVI

— xoVain (@xoVain) April 4, 2014

The 31-year-old Kenyan-Mexican actress said in a speech at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon in February that her darker complexion made her feel “unbeautiful” growing up.

“I put on the TV and only saw pale skin, I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned,” she said.

She has a much different view of beauty today and embraces her own looks. But, more importantly, she says the light that comes from within is the true marker of beauty.

“I had to give a speech about beauty right before the Oscars,” she said, “and for me, beauty is a compassion for yourself and those around you. And I think that in focusing on that, the light inside illuminates the beauty outside. The idea that Lancôme now has a few actor ambassadors is significant because actors are not just faces, they are spirits that people enjoy and relate to more than in an aesthetic way. We have the privilege of standing for something other than just looks.”

Looking at tweets of the actress, it’s easy to see how that beautiful face might inspire the people at Lancome.

Lupita Nyong'o wins lucrative new starring role http://t.co/7qroMxo41b via @rapplerdotcom #GirlPower pic.twitter.com/1XfCjwawvE

— StationTEEN (@Station_TEEN) April 6, 2014

This year, Lupita Nyong'o became the first Kenyan to win an Academy Award. #WomensHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/3sqs1A0yZL

— Women'sCampaignFund (@WCFonline) March 28, 2014

What Nollywood actors can learn from Lupita Nyong’o http://t.co/HHwrDPb0km pic.twitter.com/ttGWyZvBv9

— Nigerian Tribune (@nigeriantribune) March 16, 2014

Awesome: Lupita Nyong'o becomes Lancome's first black spokeswoman http://t.co/tUFt4wFP1t via @CTVNews pic.twitter.com/fT9AodU5nf

— Tom McAuliffe (@TomMcAuliffe) April 4, 2014

Image via Wikimedia Commons